Estudo sobre a viabilidade de utilização de materiais compósitos em manipuladores robóticos indústriais

Abstract

The utilization of composite materials increases rapidly, expanding into new areas in which there was no previously interest and not even possibility of application. The high stiffness and low density of this kind of materials is the core attractive for its employment in new projects that seek to optimize designs of new and traditional machines. The major constraint that exists today for large-scale employment of these materials is the high cost added to the project when compared to conventional materials. Although there is an occasional literature, the application of composite materials in industrial manipulators robot is restricted to few examples within the scope of research and industry, mainly those projects that demand a unique combination of properties not obtainable with the use of conventional materials. Aiming to fill a gap, this paper presents a detailed study on the impact - gains, losses and costs in the employment of a commercial composite material in the structure of an industrial anthropomorphic robot manipulator, evaluating the possible investment mitigation strategies.